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As a missionary you’re really not looking for confrontations with armed robbers, but this corn fed Mormon boy lived out Proverbs 20:30 on these idiots!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like these armed robbers being served a dusty hand cart full of whoop ass? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details and benefits.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves against armed robbers?

You must accept that danger exists and that it can happen to you. This is the foundational core of spiritual fitness and the first step in taking proactive steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you live in a fantasyland that nothing bad can happen because nothing bad has happened in the past, you’re setting yourself up for a terrible letdown. I know that the average Mormon missionary doesn’t much think about their personal defense, but these armed robbers just saw victims to attack. Thankfully the missionaries weren’t Mennonites!

Transitional spaces are places where we MUST be more careful of potential attack. A transitional space is any location that (1) allows attackers to prey on potential victims with an element of surprise and (2) provides ready escape for the attackers. Sidewalks are transitional spaces because they allow the attackers to surprise their victims, as happened with these missionaries.

Feigning compliance can be an excellent strategy in an armed robbery to buy you time to find your opportunity to defend yourself. The hands-up, palms-out posture tells the armed robbers that you’re compliant, and might give you the opportunity to defend yourself when they stop focusing on you. The missionary here complied until he found his opportunity, which is very wise against territorial violence.

If you have spiritual fitness by knowing what you’re willing to fight for and that you’re willing and ready to win the fight no matter what, you place yourself way ahead of most attackers. Attackers are looking for victims and not looking for fights, so many times when an intended victim puts up a significant fight they will disengage and find other prey. This makes sense even in the animal kingdom where we often see an apex predator disengage from feisty prey for fear of injury. Being ready to defend yourself is a key in self-defense because that defense will often cause the bad guy to run. This is part of why spiritual fitness is so important to self-defense.

The “Five Ds Plus 1” are a tool that we use at ASP to organize our training and preparation for defending ourselves against an armed attacker when we are not armed ourselves. (or if we are armed but outdrawn such that we must deal with the problem with our hands) First, before the others, we need to control Distance. (it’s the plus 1…it stands by itself and is the gateway to the others working) Then Deflect, Dominate, Distract, Disarm, Disable. We pursue them from first to last, in order, to give us the best chance of successfully defending ourselves against an armed opponent. Close the Distance to the place where we can effectively use our empty-handed skills. Deflect their force multiplier, Dominate as much as possible (best is the whole person, second is the arm with the tool, last is the tool itself), Distract the attacker (usually using pain, redirection, movement, etc.), Disarm the attacker, and Disable the attacker.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Whether off duty or on, this cop reminds us all of the importance of awareness and the willingness to use your tools!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this off duty cop being overwhelmed by a mugger? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details and benefits.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves against a mugger?

Perhaps the biggest benefit of situational awareness is that it buys you time and space to respond to a threat, and time and space buy you options when considering how to protect yourself and your loved ones from a threat. Time and space give you the chance to escape and evade, or time and space to get your force multiplier in the fight, and time and space to better your defensive position and give you a better chance to be victorious. This cop had NO awareness, and because she had no awareness, she lost the initiative and the time to respond to the mugger.

You must accept that danger exists and that it can happen to you. This is the foundational core of spiritual fitness and the first step in taking proactive steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you live in a fantasyland that nothing bad can happen because nothing bad has happened in the past, you’re setting yourself up for a terrible letdown. This is doubly true of cops!

Transitional spaces are places where we MUST be more careful of potential attack. A transitional space is any location that (1) allows attackers to prey on potential victims with an element of surprise and (2) provides ready escape for the attackers. A sidewalk is a transitional space because it allows fast exit and a ready ambush, because it’s normal to people to walk by in close proximity.

In the moment of need, the old saying goes that you will not rise to the occasion but fall to the level of your training. Usually, you’ll fall to the level of your WORST DAY in training. That means you want to train hard, train regularly, and make no excuses (to paraphrase one of my martial arts mentors, Skip Hancock) so that your worst day is good enough for the fight you’re in. This is so important, and the cop here seemed not to have enough training to get her gun in the fight quickly and effectively.

A critical skill in successful use of a defensive firearm is a smooth, fast, reliable draw. You can’t use a gun that’s not in hand and on target, and 100% of gunfights involve getting your gun out from its holster and on target. In a gunfight, this is perhaps the most significant skill to have because it is the foundation upon which marksmanship is built. You must acquire a full firing grip on the gun while it’s in the holster, draw it out of the holster while maintaining trigger finger discipline, accurately and unfailingly bring it up to your support hand, acquire a proper two-handed grip, and press out while you acquire the front sight visually. And all that must be done with unconscious competence so that you can use your thinking capacity in the moment to continue to problem solve and deal with the threat causing you to draw your firearm.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this compliance gone wrong? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details and benefits.

This is sad, but it is real. Whether targeted or random, we must all understand that compliance with an attacker threatening us with a firearm isn’t always our best choice.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves from an attack with a firearm?

Evil exists in our world, and no amount of wishing it away does so. Evil people do evil things, and good people must be ready and willing to stand between them and innocent people and do enough violence to stop them definitively. No amount of negotiation will make truly evil people change their ways; only those willing and able to stop them who use attitude, skills, and plan effectively can. The victim here complied and it made no difference.

As well-meaning as police officers are, they cannot protect you from danger. As the old adage says, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!” You—and ONLY you—can protect yourself from danger when it comes upon you. A police response time of 5 minutes is considered perfectly acceptable in most suburban departments, and times upwards of 30 minutes can be the norm in rural areas! You need to have the attitude, skills, and plan to protect yourself from harm because the police simply can’t.

Compliance does not at all guarantee your safety in the face of an armed robber or other attacker. We know, for instance, that rape victims who fight back are no more likely to be harmed than if they don’t fight back, and they are less likely to be raped. (study here: https://get-asp.com/601c if you need proof on that) Compliance does not guarantee safety, as placing your safety in the hands of someone willing to commit a felony is a terrible idea.

Feigning compliance can be an excellent strategy in an armed robbery to buy you time to find your opportunity to defend yourself. The hands-up, palms-out posture tells the armed robbers that you’re compliant, and might give you the opportunity to defend yourself when they stop focusing on you.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this fight for his life? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details and benefits.

A real fight is not scripted, not clean, and the bad guy doesn’t always lose. This is the reality of what you need to expect to defend yourself against in a knife attack, friends.

What does this deadly force encounter teach us about defending ourselves from an attack with a firearm?

Evil exists in our world, and no amount of wishing it away does so. Evil people do evil things, and good people must be ready and willing to stand between them and innocent people and do enough violence to stop them definitively. No amount of negotiation will make truly evil people change their ways; only those willing and able to stop them who use attitude, skills, and plan effectively can. The victim here had to fight for his life against an evil, determined attacker.

As well-meaning as police officers are, they cannot protect you from danger. As the old adage says, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!” You—and ONLY you—can protect yourself from danger when it comes upon you. A police response time of 5 minutes is considered perfectly acceptable in most suburban departments, and times upwards of 30 minutes can be the norm in rural areas! You need to have the attitude, skills, and plan to protect yourself from harm because the police simply can’t.

The root word of gunfight is “fight,” not “gun.” Whether you carry a firearm or not, recognize that you need to know how to fight and protect yourself against an attacker! Even if you do carry a firearm, you need empty-handed skills to be able to fight your way to your gun or defend yourself before you get the opportunity to draw. To think otherwise is madness.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

https://activeselfprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Victim-Fights-for-His-Life-Against-Determined-Attacker.jpg12602240John Correiahttps://activeselfprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ASP-Logo4-300x111-300x111.pngJohn Correia2017-04-15 10:21:022017-04-15 10:44:59Victim Fights for His Life Against Determined Attacker

We always want to think that our good intentions will be rewarded if we decide to be a Good Samaritan. But we have to count the potential cost as well, because just like this instance, it can end terribly for us. I am not saying not to step in when you have to, but recognize the cost!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this Good Samaritan being attacked? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

You must accept that danger exists and that it can happen to you. This is the foundational core of spiritual fitness and the first step in taking proactive steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you live in a fantasyland that nothing bad can happen because nothing bad has happened in the past, you’re setting yourself up for a terrible letdown. That danger can come upon you just like it did this Good Samaritan.

Every person gets to decide who they are willing to protect. For some, their “flock” is only themselves and their immediate family. That’s an acceptable answer. For others, they are willing to protect their friends, coworkers, and extended family. For a few, it might mean being willing to protect anyone who is weak, powerless, and in need. Each of us must decide the size of our flock and have that decision firmly in mind when it is time to act.

If you know there might be danger around, you cannot stand there flat-footed with your hands at your side. That’s a great way to die. Instead, if you think danger might be coming but not imminent, get your hands up protecting your head, neck, and chest. I do this by tucking one hand under the other elbow, and the free hand on my chin as if I were in deep contemplation. Others do it using the “interview position” with both hands as if they’re holding a pad and pen. Getting your hands up shaves split seconds off your reaction time, but that might make the difference between life and death if you can prepare.

As each of us considers whether to be a Good Samaritan and step into encounters that do not directly involve us, we must consider the implications on our lives and families. Does your desire to step in override your duty to your spouse and children and loved ones? Or is it part of your care for your family to protect others wherever you can? We must also all realize that when we come across an incident in progress that it can be VERY difficult to determine who is the aggressor and who is the defender, who are the good guys and who are the bad guys, and that must give us pause as well.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

https://activeselfprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Trying-to-Help-Ends-Terribly-for-Good-Samaritan.jpg12642242John Correiahttps://activeselfprotection.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ASP-Logo4-300x111-300x111.pngJohn Correia2017-04-02 21:14:352017-04-03 05:44:34Trying to Help Ends Terribly for Good Samaritan

Remember, the threat during an armed robbery isn’t to the money or possessions; armed robbers are threatening your life. Your Active Self Protection is far more about life than possessions, but if you’re going to resist an armed robbery you MUST do so with ferocity and intelligence!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this armed robbery? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves against an armed robbery?

Many times an attacker will give pre-attack cues during the “warmup” phase of an armed robbery that defenders can use to anticipate what is coming. One of the most common is looking around, either for witnesses or for escape routes. If you’re interviewing/being interviewed, and in your talk notice someone who exhibits other danger signs looking left and right away from you, consider that a significant clue that something is wrong and place yourself in the best possible place to avert or deal with the potential attack.

The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but the hands are the windows to the intent of a person (and the source of danger in an armed robbery). If you’re in a potential conflict, ALWAYS pay attention to what the aggressor is doing with their hands. They might have a force multiplier in their hand, or they might be hiding their hand so that you can’t see what is in it or using their hand to conceal something. If their hands are empty, there is a difference between someone with fists and someone whose hands are open and relaxed. As a self-defender your situational awareness must include seeing the hands of any potential threat in your vicinity, so watch the hands!

If you know there might be danger around (and as a bank guard, there is always danger around and an armed robbery is a more likely event for you), you cannot stand there flat-footed with your hands at your side. That’s a great way to die. Instead, if you think danger might be coming but not imminent, get your hands up protecting your head, neck, and chest. I do this by tucking one hand under the other elbow, and the free hand on my chin as if I were in deep contemplation. Others do it using the “interview position” with both hands as if they’re holding a pad and pen. Getting your hands up shaves split seconds off your reaction time, but that might make the difference between life and death if you can prepare.

The “Five Ds Plus 1” are a tool that we use at ASP to organize our training and preparation for defending ourselves against an armed robbery when we are not armed ourselves. (or if we are armed but outdrawn such that we must deal with the problem with our hands) First, before the others, we need to control Distance. (it’s the plus 1…it stands by itself and is the gateway to the others working) Then Deflect, Dominate, Distract, Disarm, Disable. We pursue them from first to last, in order, to give us the best chance of successfully defending ourselves against an armed opponent. Close the Distance to the place where we can effectively use our empty-handed skills. Deflect their force multiplier, Dominate as much as possible (best is the whole person, second is the arm with the tool, last is the tool itself), Distract the attacker (usually using pain, redirection, movement, etc.), Disarm the attacker, and Disable the attacker.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection against an armed robbery or any attack. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

If you’re going to resist an armed robber, please make sure your attitude, skills, and plan are up to the task! This clerk had great attitude, but his skills didn’t stand up and he paid the ultimate price.

There is a GoFundMe to help this young man’s family with his funeral expenses. It’s a sad story, so if you feel led, please consider helping: https://get-asp.com/7chr

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this clerk resisting an armed robber? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

News story with all the details on the victim and some scant info on the armed robber: https://get-asp.com/46mw The victim laid there and died, friends. He was found 13 minutes later by another customer who walked in.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves against an armed robber?

Evil exists in our world, and no amount of wishing it away does so. Evil people do evil things, and good people must be ready and willing to stand between them and innocent people and do enough violence to stop them definitively. Recognize that this armed robber was willing to commit murder for a hundred bucks. That’s evil. No amount of negotiation will make truly evil people change their ways; only those willing and able to stop them who use attitude, skills, and plan effectively can.

If you do not have the attitude, skills, and plan to protect yourself from an armed robber, then your only option is to submit to their demands and hope it works out for the best. I would never suggest that a helpless person try to defend themselves against a carjacking or armed robber, though of course if it’s a matter of life and death you must do whatever you can. The point, though, is not to be a helpless victim! This is the heart of Active Self Protection, to motivate you to train and help you develop the attitude, skills, and plan so that you can choose to protect yourself if it makes sense in the moment rather than being forced into compliance with a violent felon.

As well-meaning as police officers are, they cannot protect you from an armed robber. As the old adage says, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!” You—and ONLY you—can protect yourself from danger when it comes upon you. A police response time of 5 minutes is considered perfectly acceptable in most suburban departments, and times upwards of 30 minutes can be the norm in rural areas! You need to have the attitude, skills, and plan to protect yourself from harm because the police simply can’t.

The “Five Ds Plus 1” are a tool that we use at ASP to organize our training and preparation for defending ourselves against an armed robber when we are not armed ourselves. (or if we are armed but outdrawn such that we must deal with the problem with our hands) First, before the others, we need to control Distance. (it’s the plus 1…it stands by itself and is the gateway to the others working) Then Deflect, Dominate, Distract, Disarm, Disable. We pursue them from first to last, in order, to give us the best chance of successfully defending ourselves against an armed opponent. Close the Distance to the place where we can effectively use our empty-handed skills. Deflect their force multiplier, Dominate as much as possible (best is the whole person, second is the arm with the tool, last is the tool itself), Distract the attacker (usually using pain, redirection, movement, etc.), Disarm the attacker, and Disable the attacker.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection against an armed robber or any attacker. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this video, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Muggings like this make me so mad. They show us what can happen in real life, but deadly force encounters like this are hard to watch. This is why we practice Active Self Protection, everyone!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this mugging? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves from a mugging?

Evil exists in our world, and no amount of wishing it away does so. Evil people do evil things, and good people must be ready and willing to stand between them and innocent people and do enough violence to stop them definitively. No amount of negotiation will make truly evil people change their ways; only those willing and able to stop them who use attitude, skills, and plan effectively can. This student wasn’t looking for a mugging to come his way, but they chose him. We can all likewise be chosen for victimization, so we must be ready!

The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but the hands are the windows to the intent of a person. If you’re in a potential conflict, ALWAYS pay attention to what the aggressor is doing with their hands. They might have a force multiplier in their hand, or they might be hiding their hand so that you can’t see what is in it or using their hand to conceal something. If their hands are empty, there is a difference between someone with fists and someone whose hands are open and relaxed. As a self-defender your situational awareness must include seeing the hands of any potential threat in your vicinity, so watch the hands! The attacker had that knife in hand when the mugging started; had the victim seen that, he might have given up and therefore not been stabbed to death.

It’s dark for half the day, and bad guys of all kinds love to launch ambushes from the dark. That means, as a self-defender, that part of having good situational awareness involves keeping a flashlight on your person. That flashlight doesn’t have to be crazy tacticool and shouldn’t be firearm-mounted, because its purpose is to help you see at night to give you better awareness of any potential threats far before they can hurt you. A VERY compact option that runs on AAs is this Streamlight: http://amzn.to/1U9S39H and I carry this 1000 lumen Fenix: http://amzn.to/1S73jjb which is rechargeable and has multiple modes of brightness. A middle ground that I have used very effectively is this Olight: http://amzn.to/29htS3q. I highly recommend a flashlight for everyone, simply as an awareness tool at night. The victim here might have been able to avoid the mugging if he had been aware of a potential threat; having a light goes a long way toward that!

A knife attacks does not happen like you’ve seen in Hollywood. They are brutal, fast, and mean. Stabbing attacks like this mugging do not generally come from slashes or from any notice whatsoever, but tend to come from concealment and repeatedly stab at a rate of 2-3 stabs per second. That’s what you have to defend against in a mugging with a knife, so don’t let your dojo training stop at anything less!

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in as this mugging shows. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this mugging, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

If you’re going to fight an armed robber, you have to have all of your Active Self Protection ready; not just attitude, but skills and plan as well!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this armed robber? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

What does this video teach us about defending ourselves against an armed robber?

Evil exists in our world, and no amount of wishing it away does so. Evil people do evil things (this armed robber is a good example of that), and good people must be ready and willing to stand between them and innocent people and do enough violence to stop them definitively. No amount of negotiation will make truly evil people change their ways; only those willing and able to stop them who use attitude, skills, and plan effectively can.

Most attacks are perpetrated by men (source: http://get-asp.com/821s for that) but that doesn’t mean that women are always safe. It does mean that statistically women are much less of a threat than men for violence. However, each person is an individual, and each individual must be considered for their unique threat profile rather than lumped into a category. Just because women are less likely to commit violent crime doesn’t mean that they are unlikely in a given instance to commit violent crime. You must be emotionally ready to use force to stop an attack by a woman, and that’s not easy for a lot of men. The woman here was an armed robber every bit as much as the man, though the man was obviously the biggest threat to the clerk.

In any territorial or predatorial violence, the attacker gets to set the time and circumstances of the attack. They will almost always launch that attack from ambush, or as we like to call it in Umas, from “obscurity.” Surviving that ambush is one of the most important keys to successfully defending yourself. The armed robber launched his ambush from close proximity, which is quite common.

The “Five Ds Plus 1” are a tool that we use at ASP to organize our training and preparation for defending ourselves against an armed robber when we are not armed ourselves. (or if we are armed but outdrawn such that we must deal with the problem with our hands) First, before the others, we need to control Distance. (it’s the plus 1…it stands by itself and is the gateway to the others working) Then Deflect, Dominate, Distract, Disarm, Disable. We pursue them from first to last, in order, to give us the best chance of successfully defending ourselves against an armed opponent. Close the Distance to the place where we can effectively use our empty-handed skills. Deflect their force multiplier, Dominate as much as possible (best is the whole person, second is the arm with the tool, last is the tool itself), Distract the attacker (usually using pain, redirection, movement, etc.), Disarm the attacker, and Disable the attacker.

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today. The clerk didn’t wake up thinking an armed robber was going to murder him.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this ATTACK, so please join us in those programs to see them!

Copyright Disclaimer. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Machetes are no joke to defend yourself against; the best course is not to get into a fight with someone wielding one!

If you value what we do at ASP, would you consider becoming an ASP Patron Member to support the work it takes to make the narrated videos like this fight with machetes? https://get-asp.com/patron gives the details.

What does this surveillance video teach us about defending ourselves against attackers armed with machetes?

If you can win “the fight before the fight,” you win. You win that fight by minimizing your potential for being attacked in the first place! That means making smart decisions and living a life of awareness and readiness so that you don’t take unnecessary risks. You don’t get attacked with machetes much when you’re not around people openly carrying them and willing to hack people with them. I have a rule: unless we’re in a farm setting, if I see people carrying machetes around, I leave.

I think that the Rules of Stupid come into play here. The Rules of Stupid state that you should never (1) go to Stupid places, (2) with Stupid people, (3) at Stupid times, and (4) do Stupid things. You can usually get away with breaking one Rule of Stupid, but two or more really increase the odds of bad things happening. I think a MINIMUM of two Rules of Stupid were broken here. (2) was broken (you’re around angry people who have multiple machetes in plain view), and (4) was broken because the guy decided to escalate the conflict from verbal to physical.

Using your verbal judo to de-escalate and redirect a conflict is always the best choice if it is available, so make sure that your verbal game is strong. Knowing how to redirect, how to persuade, how to empathize, and how to talk someone down from a confrontation is critical to avoiding some fights. That said, we must also know that some people will not be dissuaded from a fight, so knowing when to talk and when to act is critical as well. If the guy in white hadn’t escalated the conflict, there’s no telling if the machetes would ever have come into play!

The first pillar of lawful, moral self-defense is “innocence.” (get a nutshell here: http://get-asp.com/wbbp or the whole concept here: http://get-asp.com/1fqe ) Innocence requires that we not be the instigator of the fight and that we not be the aggressor or the perpetrator. In some states when we attempt to leave or run we can re-establish innocence in self-defense, but states differ on that. Regardless, getting into a fight is a poor basis for a self-defense claim later, so always live in such a way that innocence isn’t a problem for you. Here the physical push doesn’t justify the use of machetes, but from a moral and legal standpoint he jeopardized his standing as a moral self-defender by escalating the conflict!

Spiritual fitness is an important part of Active Self Protection. You don’t often get any advance notice of the last day of your life, but we see over and over that self-defense isn’t a guarantee of winning every fight you might be placed in. You want to be at peace with your loved ones and with God, because you’ll need that peace on the day that you meet Him. Since you can’t guarantee advanced notice, make peace today. I also think that if you are at peace with God you minimize your chance of escalating a conflict and being attacked with machetes, which adds to the points above.

There are 3 additional lessons for Patron Members and 3 class starters for Instructors from this ATTACK, so please join us in those programs to see them!

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